Missouri Revised Statutes

1.020. As used in the statutory laws of this state, unless otherwise specially provided or unless plainly repugnant to the intent of the legislature or to the context thereof:

(1) "County or circuit attorney" means prosecuting attorney;

(2) "Executor" includes administrator where the subject matter applies to an administrator;

(3) "General election" means the election required to be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of November, biennially;

(4) "Guardian", if used in a section in a context relating to property rights or obligations, means "conservator of the estate" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo. "Guardianship", if used in a section in a context relating to rights and obligations other than property rights or obligations, means "guardian of the person" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo;

(5) "Handicap" means a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, whether the impairment is congenital or acquired by accident, injury, or disease, and where the impairment is verified by medical findings;

(6) "Heretofore" means any time previous to the day when the statute containing it takes effect; and "hereafter" means the time after the statute containing it takes effect;

(7) "In vacation" includes any adjournment of court for more than one day whenever any act is authorized to be done by or any power given to a court, or judge thereof in vacation, or whenever any act is authorized to be done by or any power given to a clerk of any court in vacation;

(8) "Incompetent", if used in a section in a context relating to actual occupational ability without reference to a court adjudication of incompetency, means the actual ability of a person to perform in that occupation. "Incompetent", if used in a section in a context relating to the property rights and obligations of a person, means a "disabled person" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo. "Incompetent", if used in a section in a context relating to the rights and obligations of a person other than property rights and obligations, means an "incapacitated person" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo;

(9) "Justice of the county court" means commissioner of the county commission;

(10) "Month" and "year". "Month" means a calendar month, and "year" means a calendar year unless otherwise expressed, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord";

(11) The word "person" may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations;

(12) "Personal property" includes money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences of debt;

(13) "Place of residence" means the place where the family of any person permanently resides in this state, and the place where any person having no family generally lodges;

(14) "Preceding" and "following", when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference;

(15) "Property" includes real and personal property;

(16) "Real property" or "premises" or "real estate" or "lands" is coextensive with lands, tenements and hereditaments;

(17) "State", when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories;

(18) "Under legal disability" includes persons within the age of minority or of unsound mind or imprisoned;

(19) "Ward", if used in a section in a context relating to the property rights and obligations of a person, means a "protectee" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo. "Ward", if used in a section in a context relating to the rights and obligations of a person other than property rights and obligations, means a "ward" as defined in chapter 475, RSMo;

(20) "Will" includes the words "testament" and "codicil";

(21) "Written" and "in writing" and "writing word for word" includes printing, lithographing, or other mode of representing words and letters, but in all cases where the signature of any person is required, the proper handwriting of the person, or his mark, is intended.

(RSMo 1939 §§ 649, 650, 653, 655, A. 1949 S.B. 1001, A.L. 1957 p. 587, A.L. 1978 H.B. 971, H.B. 1634, A.L. 1983 S.B. 44 & 45, A.L. 1988 S.B. 655)

Prior revisions: 1929 §§ 649, 650, 653, 655; 1919 §§ 7052, 7053, 7056, 7058; 1909 §§ 8051, 8052, 8055, 8057

CROSS REFERENCE:

Criminal code definitions, RSMo 556.061

Missouri General Assembly